


Challenge

by kissing2cousins



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Love Triangles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-27
Updated: 2013-11-27
Packaged: 2018-01-02 18:38:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissing2cousins/pseuds/kissing2cousins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to fic "Demons" - by request</p>
<p>Daniel ponders the consequences of the events from "Demons" (Part 1), always looking for a solution, when Jack informs him that he and Carter have already "hashed it out".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Challenge

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 of "Demons"
> 
> Read Part 1 here : http://archiveofourown.org/works/1050856

ADF

 

Daniel Jackson sat cross-legged and slouched to one side, head in his palm supported by his elbow on a knee, poking a dead tree branch into the red-hot coals of the dying fire. The firelight reflected on the lenses of his semi-rimless Humphrey’s playing shadows across his tired eyes behind, adding to the ache already throbbing within his skull.  His entire body weary from the exhaustion of the day’s labors—he had been allowed the great honor of excavating a partially collapsed ruin that was small but still mysteriously intriguing in its complexity. 

 

Normally the archeologist would have been enthralled to wonder how the Smurf-ish toadstool looking temple may have been used or what kind of alien culture had worshipped within it, however, this mission he was having trouble getting excited about anything.  To be honest, he had found it hard to think past that selfish wreck of a night three months ago, where he had managed to destroy two good relationships with friends he cared deeply for in one hour of mistake after stupid mistake.

 

Memories of both kisses still haunted him—one rough, hot, and submissive in a way that had surprised him, the other sweet, demanding, and controlling.  He had kissed Jack—needed to, wanted to, couldn’t help himself.  Sam had kissed him—with such force, he had submitted without thought of consequence or motive.  The archeologist still had not figured out what had happened to the Colonel after he had left the apartment that night, in pursuit of the Major—who had appeared back at his apartment only minutes after she must have ditched Jack.  She had stayed for the wine they had shared in their awkward silence and then she had disarmed him with her mouth and her body—searching for what it was that had made her lover cheat on her, with him.

 

It had been a shit storm that ended like the breaking of a funnel cloud, taking its dangers and threats with it.  Yet, the strange calm that had settled in amongst them afterwards Daniel had found to be much worse.  The archeologist hadn’t figured out how to fix what he had broken amongst them, but he had desired to try—it was more than the other two had wanted.  The Colonel had steeled himself with his snapping sarcasm and cold eyes, creating a fortress of his former self that would keep anyone out.  Carter had drowned herself in her work, taking on more than any self-respecting scientist could manage, using her time with the air force to cut her emotions off and remain tactical at all times.  Daniel had not seen her smile—not even a hint of a curl at the corner of her lips—for longer than he wanted to admit. 

 

It had torn a rift so wide and so violent between the three of them that not even Teal’c could fathom how to fix it—so they worked with it, as it was, like consequential allies always looking over their shoulder for the stab in the back.  Teal’c seemed more at ease with the status quo the team had adopted than the archeologist did.  Once Daniel had broken, and given Teal’c an idea of what had caused the dilema, the stoic Jaffa had simply raised a brow and tilted his head, answering succinctly, “So, it is complicated.”  Daniel had been confused by the statement but had come to assume that the Jaffa meant it was ‘none of his business’, for he kept himself from dealing with the issue altogether.  Daniel had been disappointed—it would have been nice to have any extra help he could have gotten.

 

So, the night had worn on after their exhausting day of digging, patrolling, and cataloguing, and now the archeologist had found himself left alone to keep the fire and his thoughts steady.  He added another log to the fire and took the time to look about the dark perimeter of their small encampment.  He could see nothing but the pitch black of the sentinels that surrounded them, like spires reaching to stars above, that peaked through the cloud cover which hung over them with the constant threat of a sprinkling of rain.  He hoped that he might see the Colonel, who had left with the excuse of patrolling their perimeter for the hundredth time that day.  All was still and quiet around them, except for the pop and crackle of the fire eating into the new fuel he had added to it, and the occasional sound of someone’s slight snore or the turn of a body in their sleeping bag within their two tents.

 

Daniel felt more alone amongst his team than he ever had before—making him wonder if they felt it too.  This rift had alienated them all, even Teal’c.  He found it hard to believe, despite the mounting evidence that no one else cared.

 

The archeologist cursed aloud in a mix of Russian and German, as he raked a hand back through his short hair, frustrated that he couldn’t clear his mind for even a moment of peace.  He didn’t have the military mind the other two seemed to use to erect walls around their problems and he feared he would slowly go nuts.  He stretched out, laying back on the soft grass by the warmth of the fire, leaning hard on his elbows, and allowing his head to fall back between his shoulder blades.  He squeezed his eyes shut and willed himself to recite the numbers one through ten in each of the twenty three languages his resume boasted.  It was an old focusing technique he had used when he was in university and his mind wanted to wander from his studies before a big exam— _don’t fail me now…_

 

“Sit up, Jackson,” came a hushed hiss, so caustic that its lash stung, scaring the piss from Daniel.  His eyes popped open and he fell flat on his back, shocked to see the stern face of the Colonel, squatting just in front of his head.  Daniel’s mouth twitched—he wanted to say something but nothing seemed to come out—and in his dazed stupor Jack contemptuously snapped, “Do you even fucking realize what you _do_ to me?”

 

Suddenly the Colonel’s vice grip was about the front of his jacket, hauling him to his ass in a lightning quick motion that made him dizzy and left him more bewildered than he already was.  He stared at Jack just trying to allow his mind to catch up with the actions that brought him to be sitting cross-legged again, facing the older soldier that crouched in a squat there before him.  Those narrowed coffee colored eyes raked over him from the mask of shadow from the green ball cap’s bill, making him feel vulnerable and trapped.  His own face felt hot—was he flushing?

 

The other man winced in an offended manner, annoyed and pleading, “Oh, please, Danny, don’t look at me like that, will ya?”  Then he sighed, long and heavy and plunked himself down on his own backside, allowing his side arm to fall to his side and letting his elbows settle over the top of his knees.  He shook his head as the archeologist still quietly watched and waited.  Off handedly he gestured at the younger man, whispering regretfully, “My balls are so blue I think they’re about to explode and then when I finally get up the nerve to slink back to camp, hoping your already tucked in and lights out, there you are…laid out like an offering on a silver platter.” He turned an irritated and frazzled look on the other, demanding, “I can’t honestly bring myself to believe that _you_ , with all your fancy PhD’s, could be that _bloody_ naïve, Daniel.  You think I’m made of stone or something’?  How long am I suppose to play by the rules and leave off when you…you know…ah, hell!”  The colonel bit off the remainder of the comment, swallowing it like bitter bile, as he looked away again.

 

Daniel was still confused but he had managed to fall out of the stupor the surprise had shocked him in to.  His mind had caught up and although he was elated to have a chance to finally find out what was going through his friend’s mind regarding _all this,_ he still for the life of him—linguist be damned—couldn’t find the words to reply.  Jack turned back to him and the silence between them, eyeing the other man with a sardonic twist to his lips, as he chided, “What is it, Dr. Jackson?  Lost your tongue?”

 

Daniel was painfully aware of the close distance between them and of the other man’s uncharacteristic willingness to share, yet all he could muster for an answer was, “Uh, sort of…I suppose.”  _Stupid!  Stupid, stupid!_

Jack scoffed, a raking sound that cut Daniel, as he picked a piece of long grass to chew between his teeth and replied, caustically, “That would be a first, now wouldn’t it?”

 

It wasn’t a question.  Daniel took it like the blow he knew it was and steeled himself for another, reminding himself that he deserved Jack’s anger—yet still no words would marshal for him.  It was like all the thoughts of what he would say to Jack or Sam when one of them finally opened to him came jumbling out of the dark recesses of his mind to mix together like mud on his tongue, gritty and sticky and utterly useless.

 

Then the unthinkable happened.  Jack bowed his head and from between his arms came his voice, soft and meaningful, as he admitted with some defeat, “Look…I fucked up, alright?” he sighed, and looked up at Daniel as he continued, “I should have never put you between her and I…that was stupid, irresponsible, and wrong.”

 

“You couldn’t have put me there if I hadn’t wanted to be there, Jack.” The words finally came together for Daniel and after he said it—whether Jack wanted to hear it or not—he licked his lips and confessed, “I was the one who couldn’t let you go…for her.  I wanted to, I felt that I should, that you two were right and what we had shared had been somehow inferior…but I couldn’t.  That’s…that’s my own selfish mistake and it cost use _all_ …everything.”

 

Jack’s hand reached out and took a hold of the back of the archeologist’s neck, his touch burned and yet Daniel was thankful for it.  They were so close that the Colonel pulled their foreheads together and Daniel sighed as he felt the warm press of the other man’s cheek against his temple.  The smell of Jack was there to, how the younger man had missed it.  His hot breath caressed his cheek, as the Colonel explained, “Carter and I…that was a train wreck waiting to happen.  It’s over.  She made that perfectly clear.” He sighed again and then with more conviction he announced, in a hushed whisper between them, “But us…that’s still open for debate.”

 

The shock of the words made Daniel’s head jerk up, breaking the close contact between them.  Jack’s arm came down as the archeologist stared at his friend, somewhere between disbelief and incredulity.  Daniel’s heart was pounding so loudly in his ears he wondered if he had heard the other man properly.  Then Jack’s mouth curled slightly at the corner and he breathed a chuckle, his hands busy twisting the long stalk of grass around his fingers, as he confided, “In fact, Daniel…while you were busy playing in your sand box over there…Carter and I had a heart to heart.  We hashed it all out, despite the fact that coming to terms with everything off world was incredibly inappropriate.  We set the rules and..well,” he paused, briefly to lick his lips, before he ended with a bomb shell.  “It’s a competition now and if I want’cha I’m gonna’ have to beat her to ya’.”

 

~fin~


End file.
